Martin Wieland

MARTIN WIELAND – THE BOOK

A Celebration of Feminine Beauty

Published in 2016, The Book brings together
Martin Wieland’s photographic vision in an
extensive collection of sensual nude art
and lifestyle photography.

The large-format publication features
approximately 270 photographs of 44 models,
presented across 336 pages.

Book Details
Format: 29 × 36 cm
336 pages
44 models
Approximately 270 photographs
Weight: 3.7 kg

EXPLORE MARTIN WIELAND’S BOOK »

THE INTERVIEW

Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Martin Wieland, i have been working
as a photographer more than 20 years now and
i’m specialized in shooting nudes and lifestyle
pics. For 15 years i am publishing my calendar
which is a sold out nearly every year.
In 2016 i published my first book.

Which place do you call home?

The city where i’m born. It’s close to vienna,
so i can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Quite close to a big city, but far enough
away for chilling on the weekend.
Close enough for picking up my models
when they arrive at the airport and
close enough to find wonderful locations
around my area.

Are you self taught or schooled?

I studied photography in vienna.

How did you get into photography?

My first contact with nude photography
was in the academy where I studied
photography, then there was a break
from maybe 7 years.
The real beginning was when I produced
my first “Black & White” calendar
back in 2002.
From that day on the nude shoots
became more and more important.

As you look through the viewfinder,
what is the most critical moment
in capturing your image?

As i shoot a lot of pictures during a shoot,
i am more interested in the communication
with the model. The photos are created
as a result of this communication.
So if i am lucky and i press the button
to the exactly right time ( when she is
laughing not for the camera for example ),
then i’m satisfied.
I love when you can see the real person
behind the model, if she is not playing a role.

How would you describe your style?

A friend of mine said that i shoot lifestylenudes,
which is a very good description.
I would say i mix fashion, nudes and lifestyle pics.
Although my girls are nude most of the time,
i don’t want to make them look in a way
that are typical for nude shoots.
I love it, when they smile or laugh,
I love to take snapshots and I don’t care
if the pictures are perfect in a technical way.
It’s much more important for me that
the viewer is able to imagine the mood
on the set, although he was not there.

How do you define beauty?

Everyone has a different definition of that.
Many models that I was working with
are beauties for me.

Was there a breakthrough moment in your career?

Hard to say by myself.
One highlight was definitely my first
published picture in Men’s Health,
then my first cover for Playboy South Africa
and of course my first calendar and my book.

How do you select the models you collaborate with?

Most of the time i find them through
social networks like facebook and instagram.
Of course I am also browsing through
the different modelsites like model mayhem.
And from time to time the models
are finding me;-)

What do you think makes a truly memorable photo?

I think you cannot plan a memorable photo.
I would say it happens.
Generally in my genre it’s harder to make
a memorable pic than in for example
press photography.
My pics are entertainment,
press photography documents history sometimes.

We know each of us has someone or something
that inspires our life and work.
Can you tell us the true basis of your inspiration?

At the moment I get inspired by books,
photography websites, different locations,
I would say even from everywhere.

What’s the craziest/funniest thing
that ever happened in one of your shoots?

It was in sicily in savocca at the bar
where the movie “The Godfather” was shot.
It was in the center of savocca.
There have been around 100 tourists
from russia who were taking pictures
of this bar.
Two busses full of tourists,
then they had to leave to their next stop.
The next busses were already approaching,
so we had to wait until the last tourist
got into the bus.
The model got naked, we shot maybe ten minutes
and before the first tourist from the next
bus was coming to the bar we had our pics.
Maybe some of them saw her standing
in the entrance and maybe some have
some nice pics of her, but this was
maybe the craziest shot I had.

The second one was while shooting in a spa
of a hotel, where we shot in front of a window.
Then I received a call from the hotel manager,
that we should pleas stop shooting because
the austrian soccer team is not able
to procced their trainingsession,
because of the naked woman leaning
against the window 😉

What photographers from the past or present
have influenced you the most?

Before starting to work as a photographer
it was the book “pictures” by Herb Ritts.
That’s the reason why i started shooting.
And I still love his style,
although he already passed away in 2000.

What has been your favorite photo location or session?

There were so many shootings through the years
and I have many memorable situations,
so there is not only one session
which is in my mind forever.
Maybe the week in sicily with three models
was something very special for me,
because we have been on different places
like etna, bar vitello ( the one from
the movie “the godfather” ).

What type of cameras do you shoot with?

At the moment Nikon d4 and Hasselblad,
lens: 70-200 , 1:2,8

If you had to choose one lens
which one would it be and why?

For my style of work the 70-200 2.8
is the best one.

Analogue or digital?

Digital.
I still have analogue cameras,
but I don’t have the time to shoot with them.
I loved my old hasselblad 500 C/M

Do you prefer flash or daylight?

If possible then daylight with sunbounce reflectors.
Or a mixture of daylight and flash

What is your favorite photography accessory,
other than your camera?

I love my sunbounce reflectors –
but the models hate them 😉

How important is Photoshop in your final images?

I try to use photoshop as less as possible.
Of course I develop the pics in photoshop
or lightroom and do all the necessary stuff there.
But I would say I don’t need longer
than 30 minutes on a picture for retouching.

What are your thoughts on instagram and facebook
and how important is a website and social media
for your business?

Facebook and instagram are good for networking.
On facebook you have more possibilities
to get in touch with people from the industry.
On instagram you click on a pic
and forget it immediately.
But on the other hand is instagram cooler than fb.
And the no nudity rule on both of them
is stupid for a nude photographer.
The website is much more important,
as a photographer you have the possibility
to post what you want to post,
you don’t have censorship,
you don’t get banned.
And you can sell your products
through your own webshop.
I would say the mixture of all of them
is what leads to success.

Do you listen to music while doing your shooting?
If so, what are you playing right now?

If possible yes, but when I shoot outdoor
it’s not always easy to listen to music.
Depending on the style of pics i take.

What advice do you have for somebody
who wants to pursue photography?

Shoot,shoot,shoot.
The business is getting tougher,
no one wants to spend money.
So never concentrate on one style only.
The more different styles you are able
to shoot, the better.

What lies ahead for you?

Right now my trip to st. Petersburg.
8 models in 4 days.
Then my next calendars which come
out end of november.
And slowly starting to work
on the second book.